Loggia has been built during the 16th century and was designed by the famous architect Michel Sanmicheli. Loggia was an eminent building of the city centre and has been a meeting point for the nobles to discuss political and economical issues. The building is very well preserved; it is square and has arches on its three sides (besides its west side). The consoles of its eaves are spectacular. During the Turkish occupation the loggia became a mosque and a minaret was constructed, which was later demolished in 1930. The past 40 decades the building of Loggia hosted the archaeological museum of the city, which has now moved to a building next to Fortezza. Today loggia hosts a market of archaeological art copies.

A. Rimondi, the Rector of the city, built the famous Rimondi Fountain, which is situated at present day Platanos Square, formerly the centre of Venetian city life, in 1626. The water runs from three spouts in the shape of a lion's head into three sinks. Three small, fluted columns, ornamented with Corinthian capitals are "standing" on the sinks. Above the capitals an entablature can be observed, the middle part of which displays four projections in the shape of the leaves of the acanthus exactly above the columns. Furthermore in this section the words LIBERALITATIS and FONTES are inscribed.

The Historical and Folklore Museum of Rethymno is located next to the Neratze Mosque. It is an institution of public benefit, founded in 1973 by the President of the Historical and Folklore Institution, Christoforos Stavroulakis, and Fali Vogiatzaki. The museum is housed in a restored Venetian building with an interior courtyard. The building is a wonderful piece of urban residence of the last phase of the Venetian occupation of Crete, built in the renaissance style by traditional craftsmen.

The Museum of Submarine Life is situated at Arapatzoglou street, at the center of Rethymno's old city. It was founded by the "Moshaki" family, in memory of their lost child, who drowned in the sea. The largest part of the exhibits are made up of shells, while a few vertebrates, sponges and fish are also on display.

The Contemporary Art Museum of Crete was founded in 1992 as Municipal Gallery ‘L. Kanakakis'. It is housed in a Venetian building at the old city of Rethymno, below the Fortezza fortress and the Archaeological Museum. It houses a permanent exhibition of the work of Lefteris Kanakakis (oil paintings, sketches and aquarelles), thus representing all the stages of his achievements, as well as works of contemporary Greek artists, which cover a broad spectrum of modern Greek art as it has been accomplished from 1950 until today.

Address: 5, Heimaras Str. 741 00 Rethymno
Tel: +30 28310 52530
Website :www.rca.gr

The Institute for Mediterranean Studies (IMS) based in Rethymno, Crete, was founded in 1985 and belongs to the research units of the Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas (FORTH). The IMS is the only FORTH centre which deals with the human and social sciences.
The purpose of IMS is to support and invigorate research in the field of the human and social sciences, as well as to promote the application of advanced technologies in the field. The IMS possesses a fully equipped Laboratory of Geophysical-Satellite Remote Sensing (GIS) & Archaeo-environment, specialized in archaeological research. The Library of the Institute is focused on Turkish Studies and Art History. In the Library archival material, as well as collections of Greek and foreign newspapers in digital form and microfilms are kept.
The objective of the IMS's research programs is to study the geographical space, the history and culture of Greece and the other Mediterranean countries in various historical periods, from prehistory to modern times.
In order to achieve these objectives, the research projects of the Institute are organized along the following axes:
Turkish Studies
History Studies
Art History
History of the Theatre - Ethnomusicology
The Laboratory of Geophysical-Satellite Remote Sensing & Archaeo-environment
Its activities concern the field of geophysical research, the satellite remote sensing, the Geo-information technologies and the archaeo-environment, with emphasis on the Mediterranean region. The Laboratory is a member of international organisations such as EPOCH, EARSel. and AGILE and participates in a number of joint research and technology programs in Greece and abroad (e-Content, INTERREG, ARCHIMED, ETPA, PEWNED, EPEAEK, INSTAP, LIFE, Region of Crete).
The research programs of the Institute are carried out by its permanent researchers and collaborating faculty members. In the frame of these research programs are prepared PhD Thesis and other diplomas which are submitted to the higher educational institutions with which IMS collaborates and, particularly, to the University of Crete, the Technical University of Crete and the Technological Educational Institute of Crete. The IMS supports education at post-graduate and post-doctoral level with a considerable number of annual scholarships, thus contributing to attract a steady flow of young researchers and to promote research in the field of humanities at the periphery.
The IMS maintains close academic links with various international research foundations (Cyprus, Turkey, Bulgaria, Italy, France, Spain, England, Belgium, Tunesia, Egypt, China, USA, a.o.).
The IMS is administered by a director and a five member academic council (A.C.). It is housed in wholly-owned premises comprising of two listed buildings in the old town of Rethymno. The core of one edifice dates back to the Venetian period (13th - 17th century).
Links:
www.ims.forth.gr/

Kato Asites (GR: Κάτω Ασίτες lies 23km from Iraklion and 5km from Agios Myron at 450m a.s.l with 1113 inhabitants. Beautiful town with traditional architecture especially the quarters "Notiko", "Prinos" and "Kastella" close to the monastery of Gorgolaini.
Other interesting sights are:
The thermae of the king of Prinias, The uninhabited settlement of Nisi with traditional houses, the caves "Lesta spilios" at Marias aloni, "Astirakou spilios", "Sarakina" and "Katsivli spilios" at Lyssogremia and "Melissa", The chapels of "Panagia" aged 800 years, "Agios Antonios" aged 1000 years, "Agios Georgios" and "Agia Paraskevi".
The patron Saint is "Agia Paraskevi" celebrated on the 26^th July .

Picture(s):
• Alleyway
• Nissi

The Fortezza castle, at the top of a low hill named "Palaiokastro" dominates the town. It was built in 1590 to protect the city from the pirates raids and the Turks.
The name "Palaiokastro which means 'The old Castle' was in use even by the Venetians which demonstrates the existance of an even older castle at this place. - Probably the acropolis of the ancient town of Rithymna.
The interior of Fortezza accommodated the following basic buildings: the storeroom of the artillery, where canons and weapons were kept, the residence of the Councilors, where one of the city's two Venetian councilors lived, the residence of the Rector, which represented a luxurious, magnificent building in the central square of the fortress.
Today parts of those buildings, as well as of some others built later, can be seen. The view from up there is magnificent, especially at night.
The municipal theatre "Erofili" stands also at Fortezza's premises. It is an outdoor theatre that hosts almost all the performances during the Renaissance Festival.

Agios Thomás (GR: Αγιος Θωμάς) lies at 530 m above sea level. It is 30 km away from Heraklion and has a panoramic view over the whole area to the SE of Aghia Varvara.
Agios Thomas is a very old village and the first reference we have of it, is in a document of 1371, where it is quoted as a feudal property of Petrus de Medio, and again in a document dated 1380. Later, it figures in all the Venetian censi of the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1881, and in 1900, it figures as part of the Megali Vrisi municipality, with 344 inhabitants. From 1920, it figures in all the censi as a community with a continuously growing number of inhabitants. Nowadays there are over 800 inhabitants.

Kroussónas (GR: Κρουσώνας) is an historical town built in a semi-circle on the eastern slopes of the Psilortis (the highest mountain in Crete), between the hills of Koupos and Livadiotis, at 460 meters above sea-level. It is at a distance of 21 kilometres from Heraklion. A magnificent 10kms route, ideal for nature-lovers is that from Kroussonas to the wood of Vromonero at 1300m a.s.l.

Apladianá (GR: Απλαδιανά) is a small village built at the foot of the two Kouloukona heights. The settlement stretches out along the old national road, where it developed after the opening of the new national road. It comprises cafes, tavernas, and accommodation facilities included in the Countryside Tourism programs.
It is worth your while, however, to visit the old village, climbing there on foot or by car. Picturesque, narrow streets, wonderful old houses with interesting architectural elements, old cisterns and churches will reward your efforts.
The old village built on a height of 260 m above sea-level has 175 inhabitants and the settlement along the old national road, known as "Kampos ton Apladianon", has 78 inhabitants. It is 40 kilometres away from Rethymnon and is located at the foot of the highest peak of the Kouloukona mountain in the Tallaios range.
Historical background
Already as far back as 1368 we find a mention of the Aplada family, the founders of the present village and in the topographical maps of the Civil Engineering Services of Rethymnon it figures as Pladiana. The settlement is not mentioned in the 16th and 17th cent. documents. In the 1881 census, Apladiana is attributed to the commune of Garazo, with 57 inhabitants and in 1900 it is referred to as the Apladiana Commune which, together with the Cheliana settlement, had 153 inhabitants.

Episkopi is a small town of the prefecture and county of Rethymno. It is located at the old national road of Rethymno - Hania, 17 km away from the city of Rethymno. The town is built at 120 m a.s.l. overlooking the northern coast of Crete, and the green and fertile valley of Mousselas river.

Pyrgou lies 20 km from Iraklion and 1km from Agios Myron at 400m a.s.l with 354 inhabitants. It is built on a hillside overlooking the area, with panoramic view to the village of Kroussonas and the ravine of "Agia Irini".
At the village's perimeter there are well maintained tower-like houses.

Doúli (GR: Δούλι) is a village in Kenouriou county, located 38 km from Iraklion at an altitude of 440 m above sea level.
The earliest reference to it, is to be found in the Duke's Archives of 1372, where it is mentioned as the feudal property of Nic. Venerio. The name figures in all the Venetian censi of the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as in the Turkish (1671) and Egyptian (1834) censi. In 1881, Douli forms part of the municipality of Megali Vrisi with about 170 inhabitants, and again in 1900 with only 21 inhabitants.
As of 1920, Douli is a commune in its own right, and today Douli has about 240 residents. The patron saint of the village is Aghios Panteleimonas and the feast of the Saint is celebrated on July 27^th.A visit to the old church of Aghios Nikolaos is also a must. For those interested in paleontology, there are fossils to be found at the location 'Pirgos'.

At the exit of the ravine of Imbros, near the south coast of Sfakia. It is located at an altitude of 200 m, 68 km from the city of Hania and 4,5 km from Hora Sfakion. The area is covered with olive trees and the view to the Libyan sea and the island of Gavdos in the horizon...

Panormo is a small coastal village with ~400 inhabitants, located 25km east of Rethymnon in a small distance from the national road.
The village has developed to a tourist resort providing quite a few tourist facilities such as hotels, apartments, lovely taverns and bars.
There is also a small fishing harbour that serves mostly the locals.
It is an nice place for swimming as its beaches - with umbrellas , sun beds etc - are with fine sand and clear water.
Early-Christian basilica in Panormo
In 1948 the archaeological axe brought to light the largest early-Christian basilica of Crete southwest of the village of Panormo. The basilica of Aghia Sofia had a wooden roof and dates back to the 5th century.

About 25km from Panormo to the mainland is the archaeological site of Eleftherna.

Agios Myron, with 708 inhabitants, lies 18 km from the city of Iraklion to the south west. Its one of the most important villages of the area with interesting town planning and impressive samples of traditional architecture. Built between two hills it commands a panoramic view and the school's clock, its main characteristic, is visible from almost everywhere in the area of Malevizi.

Crete's only freshwater lake, Lake Kournás (GR: Λίμνη Κουρνά), is relatively large, with a perimeter of 3.5 km. Although almost all touristic leaflets say that it is possible to walk around the lake, that is not true. At least not at the end of the rain season (winter). There is a nature preserve on the Southwest of the lake. But there is a rustic road from the North of the lake to the Hills on the West of the lake too.

Pentamódi (GR: Πενταμόδι)one of the oldest villages in Crete, is located in the valley of Gazanos river, 17km from Iraklion and 4km from Agios Myron at 350m a.s.l with 278 inhabitants.
At "Agia Paraskevi" a place with rich vegetation are organized every summer a series of cultural festivals.
A fountain of the 15th century with the blazon of the house of "Quirini" is one of the significant monuments of the area.
The patron Saint is "Agios Nikolaos" and there is a village feast on the 26^th July in his honour.

Picture(s):
• Panoramic
• Fountain

Sfakia are centred around the White Mountains mountain range, Madares, as they are called in Crete with 110 peaks and the most and biggest gorges. Sfakia remain the most wild and unspoiled landscape in all Crete. Hora Sfakion, the seaside capital of the county, is a coastal village located on the Southwestern coast of Crete, 70 km from the city of Hania and 150 km from Iraklion. In its picturesque, enclosed harbor, the small boats from Agia Roumeli dock in the summer, bringing the hikers from the Samaria Gorge. Visitors can enjoy the quiet and calm of the village , on the seaside cafes and tavernas...